MLP Columbus DAY 3

Now that Phoenix has lost to the Hustlers, they can lose to anyone.  But also Phoenix has only had one match not go to a dreambreaker.  It’s a story of one really good mixed team, and one really bad one.  I’m sending this one to a Dreambreaker too, and I think I’ll take MIA 3-2.  I liked how they looked against the mighty Shock.

• WOMENS:  Irvine/Bouchard over Rane/Bui:  Super close match here, either could win it.  I still remember this PHX womens team pickling Orlando.
• MENS:  Devilliers/Khlif over McGuffin/Sock:  Another one, depends who shows up
• MIXED:  McGuffin/Irvine over Khlif/Rane:  I have PHX here against either MIA team
• MIXED:  Devilliers/Bui over Sock/Bouchard:  Same, I have MIA team 2 beating this tennis team, I’m surprised how hapless they have been, but they have.

Dag, I shouldn’t have second guessed my original womens pick.  That pickle still haunts me.  And of course, this is when the showmen show up and look great.  The first mixed match saw Tyson and Jessie take their first loss on the season after consecutive challenges on the same point by the same team.  Not sure I’ve seen that before.  I was nearly 0-4 for the first time, but won my least confident pick.

• WOMENS:  MIA wins 11-4
• MENS:  PHX wins 11-8
• MIXED:  MIA (Khlif/Rane) wins 11-7 (McGuffin/Irvine)
• MIXED :  MIA (Devilliers/Bui) wins 11-6 (Sock/Bouchard)
• Oof, tough one, 1-3 in doubles, though did get the Winner

Well I’m pretty happy to see Chicago get this depleted Carolina team.  Only Tammy Emmrich is holding it down for the OG Hogs.  The Hogs will have 2 players I literally hadn’t heard of until they cracked this MLP Premier lineup.  Not only will this be a weaker team, they will give up points to start each game due to having non-bench players in there.  The Slice get the brooms out CHI 4-0.

• WOMENS:  Todd/Smith over Emmrich/Weil:   This might be the team least likely to choke against these newcomers, Slice huge
• MENS:  Ignatowich/Freeman over MEmmrich/Whittaker:  It’s so brutal that I think this Hog team is going to start 0-2 in a game to 11.  Build some confidence, Slice
• MIXED:  Ignatowich/David over MEmmrich/Emmrich:  This has to be Carolina’s best chance, starting only down 0-1 with the marital chemistry
• MIXED:  Freeman/Smith over Whittaker/Weil:  Chicago is solid, even at their 4th best team here.

The Slice didn’t get anywhere near the broom closet.  Not only did I lose my lock of the century in the women’s match here, but I lost it bad.  I’m going to have to watch, but this is such an impressive peformance by these subs.  Jimmy and Viv had a chance to close the match out in regulation, fighting back to 11-10 from 8-10, but lose it.  Chicago barely hung on for the Dreambreaker win.  That’s a salty one point to lose.

• WOMENS:  CAR wins 11-4
• MENS:  CHI wins 11-5
• MIXED:  CHI (Freeman/Smith) wins 11-7 (Whittaker/Weil)
• MIXED:  CAR (MEmmrich/Emmrich) wins 14-12 (Ignatowich/David)
• DREAMBREAKER:  CHI wins 21-19
• Ahhh, 2-2, tough day for dreambreaker calls.  I think I still have a good winner picking streak going

Now we’re talking!  Not sure if the Shock play the Squeeze here, but if not, this is the most important match of the tourney, certainly for Columbus after getting swept by Orlando yesterday.  Do we see CJ back?  Bellamy has been pretty solid, you can’t blame him much for any losses.  I think Anna Bright will be a favorite in both her matches, and the other two are very close.  I’m going to pick STL 4-0 if Bright gets Daescu, otherwise, STL 3-1 with Fahey losing mixed.  Who knows what STL Mixed teams we see, but it doesn’t affect my picks.

• WOMENS:  Bright/Fahey over Todd/Jansen:  Toughest match on paper this event for STL
• MENS:  Patriquin/Tardio over Daescu/Bellamy:  Big bodies for these boys to bag, they don’t have losing streaks, lets go
• MIXED:  Bright/Patriquin over Daescu/Todd:  Super fun one
• MIXED:  Tardio/Fahey over Bellamy/Jansen:  I just like all the games in this match.

Wow, flashback to Shock-Fives womens match where it took 10 game points to barely win after giving most of a huge lead up.  Anna and Kate had 10-1 and needed 8 game points to close it.  Kate especially seems to get tight closing these out.  The young guns looked extremely strong here, gearing up for the big match tonight against their buddies.  Did I underestimate the Shock?  Looks like it, Tardio was on fire and they handed Daescu and Todd a beatdown.  Our biggest favorites actually faced the most adversity, coming back to win.  League on notice, I’ll wait for the Shock win tonight to call they’ve clinched the playoffs.

• WOMENS:  STL wins 11-8
• MENS:  STL wins 11-3
• MIXED:  STL (Tardio/Fahey) wins 11-2 (Daescu/Todd)
• MIXED: STL (Bright/Patriquin) wins 11-8 (Bellamy/Jansen)
• Shameful!  3-1, sorry Kate and Tardio…I’ll put more respect on this team

Grandstand?  This is a pretty good match, a chance for the Bouncers to prove themselves against a hot team.  You know I love them, and I think the women have a chance, but I always will.  Taking my medicine here, I’ll take ORL 3-1, unless Glozdog gets Frazier/Parker.  And if so, Orlando in the DB  Can we trust the mixed matchups on the MLP site?  If so that would mean choosing them before seeing the results of gender, which is way less of an advantage.

• WOMENS:  Glozman/DiMuzio over Schneeman/Parker:  Close one
• MENS:  Staksrud/Frazier over Martinez Vich/Fought:  It’s hard to pick this Squeeze mens team to lose
• MIXED:  Staksrud/Schneeman over Glozman/Martinez Vich:  Another close one
• MIXED:  Frazier/Parker over Fought/DiMuzio

This was scary for Orlando I’m sure, all these matches were close.  Big win for Glozman and DiMuzio who needed it at the bottom of the womens rankings.  Also the ATL A team almost got it done against a very good Fed and Lacy.

• WOMENS:  ATL wins 12-10
• MENS:  ORL wins 11-7
• MIXED:  ORL (Staksrud/Schneeman) wins 11-9 (Glozman/Martinez Vich)
• MIXED:  ORL (Frazier/Parker) wins 12-10 (Fought/DiMuzio)
• My picks?  Nailed it!

Well I’m just getting to this as Chicago’s women get destroyed by Emmrich/Weil.  So I have no idea what happens in womens.  I like the Chicago men though, so I’ll go an optimistic CHI 3-1 again.

• WOMENS:  David/Smith over Rane/Bui:  Feel like this is a last stand where Chicago’s women can show they won’t drag this team down.
• MENS:  Ignatowich/Freeman over Devilliers/Khlif:  Who gets more bags?  Jimmy or Jay?
• MIXED:  Ignatowich/David over Devilliers/Bui
• MIXED:  Rane/Khlif over Freeman/Smith:  I think it’s very likely Miami gets one, but it could be any of these

Complete reversal from the earlier match for the Slice.  The womens team wins in quick fashion and then the men get run off the court pretty badly.  The Slice took a big lead in the first mixed game and blew it.  Chicago started strong in the Dreambreaker, but they are not much of a DB team.  This team is so up and down, but if they can sneak into the playoffs, maybe we get the good version.

• WOMENS:  CHI wins 11-2
• MENS:  MIA wins 11-5
• MIXED: MIA (Khlif/Rane) wins 11-8 (Freeman/Smith)
• MIXED: CHI (Ignatowich/David) 11-8 (Devilliers/Bui)
• My Chicago picks 🙁    Actually I went 3-1 here but crucially didn’t call the winner

If every an MLP match deserved to be on Grandstand, this is it.  I am going to say the Emmriches beat Zane and Dom, but otherwise, NY wins both mixed.   I can’t believe I’m going to say this, and think they probably lose one, but NY should be slight favorites in all these matches.  NY 4-0 

• WOMENS:  Spiridis/Schaefer over Emmrich/Weil:  Barely, I mean, is Zoey Weil going to go 2-0?
• MENS:  Young/Ford over MEmmrich/Whittaker
• MIXED:  Young/Spiridis over Whittaker/Weil
• MIXED:  MEmmrich/Emmrich over Ford/Schaefer

Whoa, I didn’t know what to expect here and nailed it.  And…Zoey Weil almost did go 2-0, up pretty big before giving up the lead.  The NY guys got a confidence boosting pickle of the hapless Hogs, I guess with a 2-0 lead.  Nice day for the Emmrichs in mixed.

• WOMENS:  NY wins 11-9
• MENS:  NY wins 11-0
• MIXED:  NY (Young/Spiridis) wins 11-6 (MEmmrich/Whittaker)
• MIXED:  CAR (MEmmrich/Emmrich) wins 11-7 (Ford/Schaefer)
• My picks:  Perfect

Big big Saturday for the Shock with their toughest two matches by a good margin.  And this is the big one now that Orlando swept Columbus.  STL 4-0 after seeing that earlier performance by Gabe Tardio in mixed.

• WOMENS:  Bright/Fahey over Schneeman/Parker
• MENS:  Patriquin/Tardio over Staksrud/Frazier:  These are my top 2 mens teams, and I think the Shock make a statement with this one.
• MIXED:  Patriquin/Bright over Frazier/Parker
• MIXED:  Tardio/Fahey over Staksrud/Schneeman

The Shock keep it rolling!  Big, easy wins in womens and mens.   Super statement by the young bloods against maybe the next best mens team.  I think Gabe Tardio gets the game ball today even though the women didn’t drop a game.  He just took over in the Sliders match, and then seemingly held off a streaking Staksrud, until Fed complained for a hindrance and got it.  Pretty weak, and the Shock win it anyway.  In a “The Drop” podcast reunion, a pissed off Anna Bright took it out on Dylan Team Frazier.

• WOMENS:  STL wins 11-6
• MENS:  STL wins 11-4
• MIXED:  STL (Tardio/Fahey) wins 11-9 (Staksrud/Schneeman)
• MIXED:  STL (Bright/Patriquin) wins 11-6 (Frazier/Parker)
• My picks:  Faith in Fahey fixed faults, Perfect